In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) has launched two contests to draw attention to the
importance of engineering to society. Teachers are invited to use these
contests as class assignments or to enhance another project or paper that
students are working on.
The EngineerGirl Essay Contest is
open to boys and girls in grades 3 through 12, and offers prizes of up to $500
in each of three age categories. Entries to the 2014 essay contest, "50
Years of Engineering in Society," are due March 1, 2014. Contestants are
asked to imagine how engineering might change our lives in the next 50 years in
one of five areas: nutrition, health, communication, education and
transportation.
Engineering
for You (E4U) is a video competition open to those in middle
school and up. Contestants are invited to submit a 1- to 2-minute
video that focuses on how engineering serves human welfare and the needs
of society. Contestants can choose any time period between 1964 and 2064 for
their video. One grand prize winner will receive $25,000, while $5,000 will go
to the People’s Choice award winner. Category prizes will also be awarded.
Entries to E4U are due March 31, 2014.